От Василий Фофанов
К Василий Фофанов
Дата 02.10.2001 16:52:25
Рубрики WWII; Танки; Артиллерия;

Номер 2

Notes on the actions of the LXII Gruppo, armed with 105/32 howitzers

"Also the LXII Group took part to the action but only on the 30th July. Its
action was supported by two soviet-built captured 76mm howitzers. Employed
ammo: for the 105mm HE shells Mod.32 with fuse, 3rd charge; for the Russian
76mm original armour piercing ammo (Note: nothing more is said on those
captured
guns or on their ammunition).
Results: - a T-34 was immobilized at 400m by a 105mm shell that burst
between
a wheel and track. The wheel was deformed and the track destroyed for a
length
of 30cm. The immobilized tank was also hit in its upper part by another
105mm
shell with no appreciable results. The crew bailed out and was captured.
Another T-34 was hit by a 76mm on the side while attempting an encircling
manoeuvre. The round penetrated the lower hull and bursted inside
eliminating
the crew. [...] The howitzer shields effectively resisted to tank MG fire,
at 500m the bullets only slightly dented the surface. I think that with the
105mm the use of 'unprimed' HE shells could be useful against light tanks,
as long as the relative angle of approach is not too step to impede target
tracking; against medium tanks the Mod. 32 shell has very few chances of
overcoming their thick armour. The use of 'primed' shells is better, with
the goal of track breaking. An immobilized tank can always be considered
as effectively put out of action.
20mm auto-cannon: its rounds were useless against T-34s and of scarce use
even against light tanks: two light tanks managed to overrun two 20mm guns
whose crews continued to fire until the tanks arrived at 10m range."

Here are the writer's final consideration on those two days' engagements:

"1) The 75/97/38 with HEAT rounds and the 75/32 with AP rounds proved to
be excellent tank destroyers. The 75/27 with unprimed HE shells proved good.
From the bulky 100/17 and 105/32 one cannot expect very much. Poor results
from the 20mm ammunition.

2) Above 500m no round or shell is actually effective, the effective range
for AT fire is between 50 and 300m.

3) Is important to try to hit the tanks on the sides and on the tracks, not
on the frontal protection.

4) Calm and coolness are a necessity for a gun crew. Only with them the gun
will win against armour, as happened in this case."


С уважением, Василий Фофанов, http://members.dencity.com/fofanov/Tanks